The European Union's new Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR) has sparked concerns among makers and micro-entrepreneurs [1]. The regulations, aimed at reducing waste and promoting sustainability, may inadvertently stifle innovation and harm small businesses. According to Alain Pannetrat, founder of Lectronz, a marketplace for open-source hardware and DIY electronics, the rules impose a significant burden on micro-entrepreneurs, who may be forced to pay over €1,000 in fees for just four countries [2]. This cost is disproportionate to the amount of packaging waste generated, which can be as little as 50 grams per sale [3].
The regulations also create a fragmented national model, requiring businesses to register and fulfill obligations separately in every Member State where their packaging becomes waste [4]. This bureaucratic complexity may lead to a loss of trust in the European project and undermine the single market [5]. The impact of these regulations extends beyond makers and micro-entrepreneurs, affecting artists, craftspeople, and local food producers who sell their products online [6]. To address these concerns, solutions such as introducing an EU-wide de minimis threshold, creating an EU EPR One Stop Shop, or allowing marketplaces to represent and manage micro-enterprises collectively have been proposed [7].
It is essential for policymakers to reconsider the regulations and find a more balanced approach that promotes sustainability without stifling innovation and harming small businesses.
Sources
- Lectronz. (2026). How Europe is killing makers and micro-entrepreneurs. https://lectronz.com/u/lectronz/articles/how-europe-is-killing-makers-and-micro-entrepreneurs
- Pannetrat, A. (2026). How Europe is killing makers and micro-entrepreneurs. https://lectronz.com/u/lectronz/articles/how-europe-is-killing-makers-and-micro-entrepreneurs
- Lectronz. (2026). How Europe is killing makers and micro-entrepreneurs. https://lectronz.com/u/lectronz/articles/how-europe-is-killing-makers-and-micro-entrepreneurs
- EU Commission. (2026). Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation. https://ec.europa.eu/info/law/better-regulation/have-your-say/initiatives/15352-Packaging-and-packaging-waste-rules-on-national-registers-of-producers_en
- Pannetrat, A. (2026). How Europe is killing makers and micro-entrepreneurs. https://lectronz.com/u/lectronz/articles/how-europe-is-killing-makers-and-micro-entrepreneurs
- Change.org. (2026). Stop destroying EU micro-businesses: Immediate moratorium on cross-border EPR fees. https://www.change.org/p/stop-destroying-eu-micro-businesses-immediate-moratorium-on-cross-border-epr-fees
- Pannetrat, A. (2026). How Europe is killing makers and micro-entrepreneurs. https://lectronz.com/u/lectronz/articles/how-europe-is-killing-makers-and-micro-entrepreneurs
